The 2023 season was the 123rd season for the Oakland Athletics franchise, and the 56th in Oakland. The Athletics failed to improve on their 60–102 record from the previous season, going 50–112. They started 10–45 in their first 55 games, which tied them with the 1904 Washington Senators and 1899 Cleveland Spiders for the worst 55-game start in MLB history and with a 21–60 first half, were on pace to tie (and at some points in the season, break) the record for most losses in a season in the modern era set by the 1962 Mets before having a 29–52 second half to avoid breaking the record.[1]
With their loss on August 8, the Athletics became the fastest team to be guaranteed a losing season since the 2003 Detroit Tigers, who lost 82 of their first 111 games. Despite the MLB adding an additional wild card spot to its playoff field, the Athletics, on August 23, after their loss to the Kansas City Royals, were eliminated from postseason contention, becoming the first team eliminated, as well as the fastest playoff elimination since the 2018 Baltimore Orioles, who were eliminated from playoff contention on August 20, 2018.
Although the Athletics showed signs of improvement in the second half of the season, they still became the first team since the 2019 Detroit Tigers to lose 111 or more games, en route to finishing 50–112.
The A's finished last or close to last in the American League and in MLB in most batting and pitching categories this season.
Offseason
Coaching changes
On November 7, 2022, the Athletics announced that bench coach Brad Ausmus would not return for the 2023 season.[2] On November 28, the club announced that Darren Bush would be promoted from third base coach to bench coach. The A's also announced that Eric Martins would move over from first base coach to third base, as Mike Aldrete takes over as first base coach. Oakland also named Mike McCarthy as bullpen coach.[3]
Rule changes
Pursuant to the CBA, new rule changes will be in place for the 2023 season:[4]
institution of a pitch clock between pitches;
limits on pickoff attempts per plate appearance;
limits on defensive shifts requiring two infielders to be on either side of second and be within the boundary of the infield; and
Signed free agent RHP Austin Pruitt to a minor league contract.
January 11
Signed free agent RHP Joe Wieland to a minor league contract.
January 13
Designated RHP Tyler Cyr for assignment. Signed free agent RHP Shintaro Fujinami to a 1-year, $3.25 million contract.[11]
January 15
Signed free agent RHP's Alvin Veras, Roberto Urdaneta, Donny Troconis, Luis Morales, Freilyn Guzman, Francis Marte, Paul Chacon, Cristhian Rangel and Wilfred Alvarado, C's Jesus Natera and Ramon Landaeta, SS's Jesus Superlano and Jesus Fernandez, OF's Darling Fernandez, Reynaldo De La Paz and Jeison Lopez to a minor league contract.
March 30 – In the first game of the season, the A's faced the Los Angeles Angels at Oakland Coliseum. Kyle Muller pitched five innings, allowing only one run. Oakland scored two runs in the eighth inning to win the game 2–1. Aledmys Díaz had two hits in his A's debut and drove in the game winning run. Trevor May earned the victory in his first game with Oakland.[18]
April 1 – After a scheduled day off, the A's resumed their three-game series with the Angels. Ramón Laureano hit his first home run of the season, however, the Angels scored 11 runs in the 3rd inning, easily defeating Oakland 13–1. Shintaro Fujinami struggled in his first career start, allowing eight runs in 2.1 innings.[19]
April 2 – The Athletics were limited to only five hits in a 6–0 loss to the Angels. Jesús Aguilar and Shea Langeliers each recorded two hits for Oakland. Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani hit back-to-back home runs for Los Angeles in the fifth inning.[20]
April 3 – Oakland opened a three-game home series against the Cleveland Guardians. Seth Brown hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning to tie the game. Ramón Laureano and Jace Peterson also hit home runs, but the A's lost the high scoring game 12–11 to Cleveland in 10 innings.[21]
April 4 – Tony Kemp hit a game winning single in the bottom of the ninth inning, scoring Ryan Noda, as Oakland snapped their three-game losing streak with a 4–3 win over Cleveland. Trevor May earned his second win of the season.[22]
April 5 – In the eighth inning, Ryan Noda hit his first career home run, then Jesús Aguilar hit a three-run home run, as the A's rallied down from 4–0 to tie the game. In the tenth inning, the Guardians scored twice, defeating Oakland 6–4 in the final game of the series.[23]
April 7 – The Athletics began their first road series of the season, facing the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. Ryan Noda hit a home run for the second consecutive game and Shea Langeliers hit his first home run of the season. Ken Waldichuk struggled in his start, allowing eight runs in three innings, as the A's lost to Tampa Bay 9–5.[24]
April 8 - Oakland managed only three singles in an 11–0 loss to the Rays. Shintaro Fujinami struggled, allowing five runs in 4.1 innings, while walking four and striking out only one batter. The loss was the third in the row for Oakland and sixth in seven games since winning on Opening Day.[25]
April 9 - The A's offense continued to struggle, as Ramón Laureano hit a double in the fourth inning for Oakland's only hit of the game. James Kaprielian also struggled in his start, allowing seven earned runs in 4.2 innings, as the Rays swept the three-game series, beating the Athletics 11–0 for the second consecutive game.[26]
April 10 - Oakland began a four-game road series against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland. Ramón Laureano hit an RBI triple in the first inning. That would be the only offense for the A's, as the Orioles won the series opener 5–1, extending Oakland's losing skid to five games.[27]
April 11 - Shea Langeliers hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning and Jace Peterson drove in two runners. Oakland took a 7–3 lead in the fifth inning, however, the Orioles came back, sending the A's to their sixth straight loss, by a score of 12–8. Baltimore's Ryan Mountcastle hit two home runs and drove in nine runs.[28]
April 12 - Carlos Pérez had three hits, including a home run, while Brent Rooker hit a three-run homer, as Oakland snapped their six game losing streak, defeating the Orioles 8–4. Chad Smith earned his first career victory. The win was Oakland's first on the road this season.[29]
April 13 - Brent Rooker hit two home runs and drove in five runners, as the A's rallied from a 7–4 deficit to tie the game. In the bottom of the ninth, the Orioles Adley Rutschman hit the game winning home run, as the Athletics lost to Baltimore 8–7. Esteury Ruiz and Carlos Pérez each had three hits for Oakland.[30]
April 14 - The Athletics returned home to begin a three-game interleague series against the New York Mets. The A's walked an Oakland-record 17 batters, the second most in franchise history, only behind 18 walks issued in 1916 when they were the Philadelphia Athletics. Brent Rooker hit a home run for the third straight game, while Aledmys Díaz and Shea Langeliers added home runs for Oakland. The Mets Francisco Lindor hit two home runs and drove in seven runs, as New York crushed the Athletics 17–6.[31]
April 15 - Oakland's offense was limited to only five hits, as the A's lost their third game in a row, dropping a 3–2 decision to the Mets. Shintaro Fujinami pitched well, allowing three runs in six innings, but took the loss to drop his record to 0–3.[32]
April 16 - In the bottom of the eighth, Shea Langeliers hit a two-run double, giving Oakland a 3–2 lead. The Mets came back as Pete Alonso hit a home run off of Dany Jiménez, tying the game 3–3. In the 10th inning, the Mets took the lead 4–3 after a wild pitch from Zach Jackson. The A's couldn't score in the bottom half of the inning, as New York swept the three-game series, winning the game 4–3. With the loss, Oakland's record dropped to 3–13.[33]
April 17 - The Athletics began a three-game home interleague series against the Chicago Cubs. Kyle Muller struggled in his start, allowing 13 hits and six runs in four innings. Esteury Ruiz had two hits for the A's and scored their only run in a 10–1 loss.[34]
April 18 - The A's were held to only two hits in a 4–0 loss to the Cubs. Ken Waldichuk had a solid start, pitching five shutout innings and striking out five batters. With the loss, Oakland dropped to 3–15 on the season, tying the 1951 Philadelphia Athletics for the worst 18 game start in franchise history.[35]
April 19 - Oakland dropped their seventh straight game, losing 12–2 to the Cubs. In his Major League debut, Mason Miller started and pitched 4.1 innings, allowing two runs and striking out five and had a no-decision. With the loss, the A's dropped to 3–16, and continue to tie the 1951 team for the worst start in club history.[36]
April 20 - Team president Dave Kaval announced that the franchise had purchased a plot of land in Las Vegas near the strip. In a statement to MLB.com, he stated that the franchise is "really putting all our focus in Las Vegas and the efforts there".[37]
April 21 - After a scheduled day off, Oakland began a seven-game road trip, beginning with three games in Arlington, Texas to face the Texas Rangers. After Texas took a 4–0 lead in the first inning, JP Sears settled in and pitched six innings, striking out a career-high 11 batters. The A's battled back, tying the game 4–4 heading into the ninth inning. In the ninth, Jordan Díaz came up as a pinch hitter and hit his first career home run. Jeurys Familia shut the door in the bottom half of the inning, earning his first save of the season, as Oakland defeated Texas 5–4 to snap their seven game losing streak.[38]
April 22 - Shintaro Fujinami struggled in his start, allowing eight runs in 2.1 innings pitched, as Texas crushed the Athletics 18–3. Fujinami's record dropped to 0–4 with a 14.40 ERA in his first four career starts. Jesús Aguilar hit a home run for the A's in the loss. The Rangers Adolis García hit three home runs and drove in eight runners.[39]
April 23 - Shea Langeliers hit his fourth home run of the season, however, the A's lost the final game of the series 5–2 to Texas. Former Oakland player Robbie Grossman hit a three-run home run for the Rangers in the second inning and drove in four runs during the game. Rangers ace Jacob de Grom struck out 11 batters in six innings. The loss dropped the A's overall record to 4–18.[40]
April 25 - The Angels roughed up Mason Miller by scoring four runs in the first inning, erasing an early 1–0 lead the Athletics took in the first half of the inning. Shea Langeliers hit his fifth home run of the year, as Oakland dropped a 5–3 decision to Los Angeles.[42]
April 26 - Luis Medina made his major league debut, pitching five innings, in which he allowed eight runs, seven of them earned, while striking out six batters. Kevin Smith hit his second home run of the season. Esteury Ruiz stole four bases, giving him nine total on the season. The A's dropped their second straight game, losing 11–3.[43]
April 27 - Brent Rooker hit a three-run home run and Shea Langeliers hit a two-run homer. JP Sears struggled in his start, pitching 4.2 innings while allowing six runs. The Angels defeated Oakland by a score of 8–7, as they finished their seven game road trip with a 2–5 record.[44]
April 28 - The Athletics returned home to face the Cincinnati Reds in a three-game interleague series. Ryan Noda and Brent Rooker each had three hits, a home run and drove home two runners, while Shea Langeliers had two hits and drove in three runners. Drew Rucinski struggled in his Athletics debut, allowing 11 hits and five runs, three earned, in 5.2 innings. This was Rucinski's first MLB game since September 29, 2018. The A's losing streak extended to four games, as Cincinnati won the series opener 11–7.[45]
April 29 - Kyle Muller pitched a solid five innings, allowing only one run, while striking out three. The A's took a 2–1 lead into the ninth, however, the Reds scored twice off of Jeurys Familia. The A's were shutdown in the bottom half of the inning, as their losing skid reached five games with a 3–2 loss to Cincinnati.[46]
April 30 - Esteury Ruiz hit a game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth inning, as the A's avoided the series sweep by winning the final game 5–4 over the Reds. Brent Rooker and Jesús Aguilar each hit a home run and drove home two runners. The win snapped the A's losing streak at five games.[47]
May
May 2 - After a day off, the Athletics hosted the Seattle Mariners for a three-game series. In the series opener, Mason Miller was throwing a no-hitter after seven innings before being pulled out of the game after throwing 100 pitches and Oakland holding a 1–0 lead. With Miller out of the game, the Mariners scored twice in the top of the eighth inning, as Oakland lost the game 2–1. Esteury Ruiz had the lone RBI for Oakland, hitting a double in the sixth inning to score Tony Kemp.[48]
May 3 - JP Sears pitched six shutout innings, allowing four hits and striking out seven. Esteury Ruiz and Tony Kemp each hit RBI doubles in the sixth inning, giving the A's a 2–0 lead. The Mariners battled back, tying the game in the ninth inning. In the tenth, Seattle put up five runs, as Oakland lost the game 7–2.[49]
May 4 - The Mariners completed the three-game sweep, defeating Oakland 5–3. JJ Bleday hit his first home run of the season. Bleday and Ramón Laureano each had two hits in the loss. The loss dropped the A's record to 3–15 at home and 6–26 overall.[50]
May 5 - Oakland begins a three-game weekend series at Kauffman Stadium to face the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City, Missouri. Brent Rooker and Ramón Laureano hit back-to-back home runs in the third inning, while Rooker and Ryan Noda each drove home three runners. Esteury Ruiz stole two bases, giving him 15 on the season to lead the American League. The Athletics snapped their three game losing skid, defeating the Royals 12–8.[51]
May 6 - JJ Bleday had two hits, including a home run, while Esteury Ruiz drove home two runners, as the Athletics won consecutive games for the first time this season, defeating the Royals 5–4. The A's bullpen pitched four shutout innings, allowing only one run. Zach Jackson earned his first save of the season in the win.[52]
May 7 - Mason Miller had a solid start, pitching six innings, allowing two runs and striking out five. The A's offense was shutdown, as they managed only four hits in the game. Kansas City won the final game of the series, defeating Oakland 5–1.[53]
May 8 - The Athletics travelled to The Bronx, New York for a three game series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. JP Sears had a tough start against his former team, as the Yankees hit three home runs against him. Sears allowed five runs in 5.1 innings pitched. Esteury Ruiz had two hits and stole his 17th base of the season in the A's 7–2 loss to the Yankees.[54]
May 9 - Jordan Díaz hit three home runs and collected four RBI to lead the Athletics offense. Shea Langeliers had three hits and scored a run. Drew Rucinski struggled in his start, allowing seven runs, five earned, in five innings. Oakland dropped their third game in a row, losing 10–5 to the Yankees.[55]
May 10 - In the final game of the series, Carlos Pérez, Jace Peterson and JJ Bleday each hit solo home runs. Kyle Muller allowed four runs in the first inning, then the Yankees put the game out of reach with seven runs in the fifth. New York defeated Oakland 11–3 to sweep the series.[56]
May 11 - Oakland returns home for a four-game series against their divisional rivals, the Texas Rangers. The Athletics offense managed only three hits, two of them by Esteury Ruiz, as Texas shut out Oakland 4–0. The loss extends Oakland's losing skid to five games.[57]
May 12 - Brent Rooker hit a walk-off three-run home runs for the Athletics, as they snapped their five game losing streak with a 9–7 in ten innings. Esteury Ruiz had four hits, drove home four runners and scored two runs and he hit his first career home run. Carlos Pérez and Kevin Smith also hit home runs in the victory.[58]
May 13 - The Athletics managed only five hits in a 5–0 loss to the Rangers. James Kaprielian pitched seven innings, allowing three runs and striking out seven. Rangers pitcher Jon Gray pitched eight shutout innings.[59]
May 14 - Shea Langeliers hit a two-run home run and drove home three runners, however, the A's dropped the final game of the series, losing 11–3 to the Rangers. Ramón Laureano and Aledmys Díaz each had two hits for Oakland. The game was tied 3–3 in the top of the eighth, however, Texas broke it open with eight runs in the inning. The loss drops the A's overall record to 9–33.[60]
May 15 - The A's opened a three-game interleague home series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Nick Allen had two hits and scored a run and Jace Peterson hit a solo home run in the A's 5–2 loss to the Diamondbacks. Drew Rucinski struggled in his start, allowing five runs in three innings, walking five batters and recording no strikeouts. The announced attendance was 2,064, the A's smallest home crowd (excluding the COVID-19 restricted 2020 season) since drawing 1,037 fans on September 19, 1979.[61]
May 16 - Ryan Noda hit a pinch-hit grand slam in the seventh inning, erasing Arizona's 8–4 lead. With the game tied 8–8 in the bottom of the 12th inning, Esteury Ruiz singled home Ramón Laureano, as the Athletics came back to defeat the Diamondbacks by a score of 9–8.[62]
May 17 - Ramón Laureano hit a three-run home run for the Athletics, however, it wasn't enough as the A's dropped the final game of the series, losing 5–3 to Arizona. Luis Medina had a solid start, pitching six innings while allowing three runs.[63]
May 19 - Following an off day, the A's travelled to Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas for a three game series against their divisional rivals, the Houston Astros. In the series opener, Esteury Ruiz had two hits, scored a run and stole his league leading 21st base of the season. The Astros shutdown the A's offense, as Houston won the game 5–1.[64]
May 20 - JP Sears allowed two runs in the first inning, but settled down after that, as he pitched six innings without allowing any more runs. Esteury Ruiz stole two bases, bringing his season total to a league leading 23, as he had two hits and score a run. The A's dropped a close game, losing 3–2 to Houston.[65]
May 21 - The Astros Framber Valdez pitched a four-hit complete-game shutout, as Oakland dropped the series finale by a 2–0 score. James Kaprielian pitched five innings, allowing only one run. Esteury Ruiz had another stolen base, bringing his season total to 24.[66]
May 22 - Oakland travels to T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington to begin a four-game series against their divisional rivals, the Seattle Mariners. The Athletics were limited to five hits and two runs in a lopsided 11–2 loss to the Mariners. Kyle Muller struggled, allowing six runs in five innings, dropping his record to 1–4 with an ERA of 8.04.[67]
May 23 - The Athletics losing streak was extended to six games, as they dropped a 3–2 decision to the Mariners. Ramón Laureano had two hits for Oakland and drove home a run. Esteury Ruiz stole his 25th base of the season. With the loss, Oakland's win-loss record dropped to 10–40 on the season.[68]
May 24 - Oakland continued to struggle, as they allowed five runs in the fourth inning to fall behind, losing their seventh game in a row, by a 6–1 score to Seattle. Aledmys Díaz had two hits and drove home the A's only run on a seventh inning double. Esteury Ruiz swiped his league-leading 26th base.[69]
May 25 - The Mariners completed the four-game sweep, defeating Oakland 3–2. The A's took a 2–0 lead in the first inning after a Seth Brown two-run home run. Seattle limited Oakland to three hits, two of them by Ryan Noda. The loss was Oakland's 16th in their past 18 games and dropped their overall record to 10–42.[70]
May 26 - The A's return home for a three-game series against the Houston Astros. Seth Brown hit a two-run home run, however, Oakland lost their ninth game in a row, losing by a 5–2 score. With the loss, Oakland became the first team since 1900 to lose 43 of their first 53 games of the season.[71]
May 27 - Oakland dropped their tenth game in a row, losing 6–3 to the Astros. Shea Langeliers had two hits and drove home two runs to lead the Athletics offense. Hogan Harris pitched five innings, allowing only one hit and no runs.[72]
May 28 - The Astros handed the Athletics their 11th straight loss by a score of 10–1. Ryan Noda hit a leadoff homerun in the first inning for Oakland. With the loss, the A's record dropped to 10–45.[73]
May 29 - Oakland opened a three-game home interleague series against the Atlanta Braves. Ryan Noda hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning, as the A's snapped their 11 game losing streak, with a 7–2 win over the Braves. Lucas Erceg pitched three scoreless innings, earning his first career MLB victory.[74]
May 30 - JP Sears pitched six innings, allowing only one run and four hits. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Jonah Bride grounded into a fielder's choice at third, however, on an error, Seth Brown scored the winning run, as Oakland defeated the Braves 2–1.[75]
May 31 - The A's were held to only three hits, as Atlanta won the final game of the series 4–2. Esteury Ruiz stole his league-leading 29th base of the season.[76]
June
June 2 - Oakland began a three-game interleague series on the road against the Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida. The Marlins held Oakland to five hits, defeating the A's 4–0. Hogan Harris pitched five innings, allowing two runs and struck out five.[77]
June 3 - Luis Medina struggled in his start, allowing six runs in two innings, as the Marlins crushed the A's 12–1. Ryan Noda and Shea Langeliers each had two hits, while Langeliers drove home Oakland's lone run. Miami's Luis Arráez had five hits to increase his league leading batting average to .390, and he drove home five runners.[78]
June 4 - The Marlins completed the three-game sweep, as Oakland dropped the final game of the series by a 7–5 score. Ramón Laureano had two hits, drove home two runs and scored a run.[79]
June 5 - The A's road trip continued with a three-game interleague series against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Oakland lost the opening game of the series 5–4, extending their road losing streak to 15 games. Ryan Noda had two hits, scoring a run and driving home another and Brent Rooker also had two hits and scored two runs.[80]
June 6 - Jace Peterson recorded five hits, including two home runs, and he drove home five runners, as the Athletics snapped their 15-game road losing streak with an impressive 11–2 win. Shea Langeliers and Ryan Noda also hit home runs for Oakland. James Kaprielian pitched six innings, allowing only one earned run, to record his first win of the season.[81]
June 7 - The Athletics scored seven runs in the first inning, as they won the final game of the series 9–5. Every player in the A's lineup had a hit, and were led by Seth Brown, who had three hits. Ryan Noda hit a home run and drove home two. Hogan Harris earned his first career victory, allowing three runs in five innings. Trevor May earned his first save with the Athletics.[82]
June 9 - Following a day off, the A's conclude their nine-game road trip with a three-game interleague against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Esteury Ruiz had two hits and stole his 30th base of the season and Ramón Laureano also collected two hits and drove home two runners, as the A's won three consecutive games for the first time this season, defeating Milwaukee 5–2. Luis Medina pitched five innings, allowing two runs and striking out six for his first career victory.[83]
June 10 - The Athletics extended their winning streak to four games, defeating the Brewers 2–1 in 10 innings. Aledmys Díaz had three hits and drove home the game winning run in the tenth inning. Paul Blackburn pitched six shutout innings, striking out five. Sam Long earned his first save of the season.[84]
June 11 - Oakland completed the three-game series sweep, defeating the Brewers 8–6. Seth Brown, Brent Rooker and Kevin Smith each hit home runs. JP Sears pitched five innings, allowing two runs and striking out five to earn his first win of the season. With the win, the A's extended their winning streak to five games.[85]
June 12 - The Athletics returned home for a four-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays. Shea Langeliers hit a three-run double in the fifth inning, leading Oakland to a 4–3 win to extend their winning streak to six games. James Kaprielian pitched six innings, earning his second win of the season and Ken Waldichuk pitched three shutout innings to earn his first career save.[86]
June 13 - Hogan Harris pitched seven innings, allowing only one run, to lead the Athletics to their seventh consecutive win, defeating the Rays 2–1. Brent Rooker had two hits including an RBI double in the seventh inning and Carlos Pérez drove home the winning run in the eighth on a groundout.[87]
June 14 - JJ Bleday hit a three-run home run, however, the A's winning streak was snapped, as the Rays defeated Oakland 6–3. Jace Peterson had two hits.[88]
June 15 - Seth Brown drove home two runners, however, the Rays pitching staff held Oakland to only five hits and struck out 17 batters, as Tampa Bay won the final game of the four-game series 4–3 to earn the series split.[89]
June 16 - The Athletics will hosted the Philadelphia Phillies for a three-game interleague series. In the first game, Esteury Ruiz had two hits and stole two bases, bringing his season total to a league-high 35. Ruiz drove home the A's only run, as he singled home Shea Langeliers, as Oakland dropped the game 6–1.[90]
June 17 - Carlos Pérez had three hits, including a home run, however, the A's dropped their fourth game in a row, losing 3–2 to the Phillies in 12 innings. Esteury Ruiz had two hits and stole his 36th base of the season.[91]
June 18 - The A's continued to slump, as they lost their fifth game in a row, dropping a 3–2 decision to the Phillies. Aledmys Díaz hit a home run for Oakland. Hogan Harris pitched six innings, allowing two runs and struck out seven batters, however, he lost his first game of his career. With the loss, the Athletics dropped to 9–29 at home on the season.[92]
June 20 - Following an off day, the A's began a six-game road trip, beginning with three games against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. Tony Kemp hit a two-run home run, however, the A's lost to the Guardians 3–2 in 10 innings. With the loss, Oakland's losing streak is now at six games.[93]
June 21 - Esteury Ruiz had three hits, drove home two runs and stole two bases, bringing his MLB-league leading total to 39, however, the Guardians sent Oakland to their seventh straight loss, as Cleveland won the game 7–6.[94]
June 22 - The Athletics offense struggled, as the club managed only three singles, in a 6–1 loss to the Guardians. JP Sears had a solid outing, pitching seven innings, allowing two runs and striking out eight batters. With the loss, the A's losing streak extended to eight games.[95]
June 23 - Oakland headed north to the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada for a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays. Shea Langeliers hit a tie-breaking solo home run in the ninth inning, as Oakland defeated the Blue Jays 5–4 to snap their eight game losing skid. JJ Bleday also hit a home run, a three-run shot in the first inning.[96]
June 24 - Seth Brown hit a solo home run and Tyler Wade had two hits and drove home a run in the A's 7–3 loss to the Blue Jays.[97]
June 25 - The A's were limited to only three hits, including a home run by Tony Kemp, as they lost the final game of the series to the Blue Jays by a score of 12–1. Luis Medina struggled with control, walking seven batters in five innings.[98]
June 27 - Following an off-day, the A's returned home for a three-game series against the New York Yankees. Paul Blackburn earned his first win the season, pitching 5.1 innings while allowing only one run, as the Athletics won the game 2–1. Esteury Ruiz had two hits and stole his league-leading 40th base.[99]
June 29 - Seth Brown had three hits and drove home a run, however, the A's dropped the final game of the series, losing 10–4. The loss dropped the A's record to 21–62 on the season.[101]
June 30 - Oakland returned home to host the Chicago White Sox for a three-game series. This was the A's final home series before the All-Star break. In the series opener, Aledmys Díaz, Shea Langeliers and Tony Kemp each had two hits, a run and an RBI, leading the A's to a 7–4 victory over the White Sox.[102]
July
July 1 - In the tenth inning, Tyler Wade scored on an error by former Athletic Elvis Andrus, as Oakland defeated the White Sox 7–6. Seth Brown hit a home run and Esteury Ruiz stole his league-leading 42nd base of the season.[103]
July 2 - Brent Rooker hit a pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning, however, the A's were not able to complete the comeback, as they dropped a close game by a score of 8–7. The A's were down 5–0 early in the game and 8–3 in the eighth before making the game close.[104]
July 4 - After a day off, the Athletics were on the road for a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan, beginning with an Independence Day matchup. In the 10th inning, Ryan Noda singled to left, scoring Tyler Wade for the only run of the game, as Oakland shut out the Tigers 1–0. JP Sears pitched 7.1 innings, allowing no runs, in his start.[105]
July 5 - The A's offense exploded for 12 runs and 14 hits, as Oakland crushed the Tigers 12–3. Jordan Díaz had three hits, including a home run. Shea Langeliers and Ryan Noda also hit home runs in the victory. With the win, Oakland has victories in four of their past five games.[106]
July 6 - Oakland was limited to four hits, as they were shut out by the Tigers by a 9–0 score. Jordan Díaz had two of the A's hits in the game.[107]
July 7 - The Athletics headed to Boston, Massachusetts for a three-game series at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox for their final series before the All-Star break. In the series opener, Seth Brown hit a two-run home run, but it wasn't enough, as the Red Sox defeated Oakland 7–3.[108]
July 8 - Brent Rooker hit his 15th home run of the season and Manny Piña hit his first homer, however, the A's lost their third consecutive game, losing 10–3 to the Red Sox.[109]
July 9 - The A's dropped their final game before the All-Star break, as the Red Sox swept the series, defeating Oakland 4–3. Brent Rooker had three hits, including a home run. JP Sears pitched five innings, allowing only one hit and no earned runs.[110]
July 14 - Oakland opened the second half of the series with a three-game home series against the Minnesota Twins. In his MLB debut, Zack Gelof hit a double and drove home a run, however, the A's lost to the Twins, by a 5–4 score.[112]
July 15 - The A's dropped their sixth game in a row, losing to the Twins by a score of 10–7. Seth Brown and Ryan Noda each hit home runs. Tyler Soderstrom got the first two hits of his career and Zack Gelof scored twice.[113]
July 16 - Zack Gelof had two hits and scored a run, and Jordan Díaz hit a home run, however the A's lost their seventh straight game, coming up short in a close 5–4 game. The loss extends the A's losing streak to seven games and drops their overall record to 25–70 on the season.[114]
July 17 - The A's homestand continued with a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox. In the series opener, the A's were held to only one hit, as they lost 7–0 to Boston.[115]
July 18 - Ryan Noda and JJ Bleday each hit home runs in the second inning, and Luis Medina pitched 5.2 innings, allowing no runs and striking out six, as the A's snapped their losing streak, shutting out the Red Sox 3–0.[116]
July 19 - Jace Peterson, Cody Thomas and JJ Bleday each hit two-run home runs, leading the A's to a 6–5 win over the Red Sox. Oakland's bullpen allowed only one hit and no runs in 4.1 innings pitched. Ángel Felipe earned his first career victory and Trevor May recorded his eighth save of the season.[117]
July 20 - The A's hosted their divisional rivals, the Houston Astros, for a four-game home series to conclude their 10-game home stand. In the series opener, the Astros pitching staff held Oakland to only one run, as Houston won the game 3–1. Seth Brown had two of the Athletics hits and drove home the lone run with a first inning double, scoring Tony Kemp. Hogan Harris had a very solid start, pitching six innings and allowing two runs, however, he took the loss.[118]
July 21 - Tony Kemp had two hits and two runs, as the Athletics lost to the Astros 6–4.[119]
July 22 - Zack Gelof hit his first career home run, and Seth Brown hit his 10th home run of the season, leading the Athletics to a 4–1 victory over the Astros.[120]
July 23 - JJ Bleday had two hits, including a home run, while Tyler Soderstrom drove home his first career run, however, the A's dropped a close game, losing 3–2 to the Astros. Luis Medina pitched a solid game, going five innings, allowing only two hits and one run.[121]
July 25 - Following a day off, the A's were on the road to Oracle Park in San Francisco, California for the first two games of the Bay Bridge Series. The Giants held the Athletics to five hits, as Oakland dropped the first game, losing 2–1.[122]
July 26 - Tony Kemp had three hits, however, the Giants defeated the Athletics by a score of 8–3 to sweep the two-game series. The teams will finish the Bay Bridge Series in early-August with two games in Oakland.[123]
July 29 - Seth Brown had three hits, while Zack Gelof and Brent Rooker each hit home runs, as the Athletics crushed the Rockies 11–3. Paul Blackburn pitched six innings, allowing two runs and striking out seven, improving his win-loss record to 2–2 on the season.[125]
July 30 - The Rockies limited the Athletics to five hits, as Oakland lost the final game of the series 2–0. Ramón Laureano had two hits for the A's.[126]
August 2 - Shea Langeliers hit a solo home run in the Athletics 10–1 loss to the Dodgers. Hogan Harris struggled in his start, allowing eight runs in only three innings pitched.[128]
August 3 - Zack Gelof had two hits, including his fifth home run of the season and Tyler Soderstrom hit his first career home run, however, the Dodgers completed the three-game sweep, defeating Oakland 8–2.[129]
August 5 - After a scheduled day off, the Athletics hosted the San Francisco Giants for a two-game series to conclude the Bay Bridge Series for the season. Jordan Díaz hit a home run in the fifth inning and with the game tied 1–1, Seth Brown singled home Díaz, as Oakland defeated San Francisco 2–1. Paul Blackburn pitched six shutout innings, allowing only two hits.[130]
August 6 - Nick Allen had three hits, including two home runs, leading the Athletics to an 8–6 win over the Giants, sweeping the two-game series. The A's and Giants split their four games during the season, however, the Athletics won the Bay Bridge Series as they won the final game of the series.[131]
August 7 - The Athletics were at home for a three-game series against the AL West division leading Texas Rangers. Nick Allen hit an RBI double and Zack Gelof drove home two with a double in the third inning, giving Oakland a 3–0 lead, however, the Rangers came back to win the series opener 5–3. Ken Waldichuk pitched six innings, allowing two runs and striking out seven in his start.[132]
August 8 - JJ Bleday hit a solo home run, as the Athletics lost to the Rangers by a score of 6–1. The A's were limited to three hits in the loss.[133]
August 9 - Zack Gelof hit a home run, while the A's pitching staff held the Rangers to only four hits, as Oakland shut out Texas 2–0. Freddy Tarnok earned his first career win, pitching four shutout innings. The victory snapped the Rangers eight game winning streak.[134]
August 11 - After an off-day, the Athletics were on the road for a three-game interleague series against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in Washington, District of Columbia. Jordan Díaz drove home two runners in the first inning, however, the A's offense struggled for the rest of the game, as Washington defeated Oakland 8–2.[135]
August 12 - JJ Bleday hit a solo home run in the third inning and Brent Rooker hit a solo homer in the sixth inning, as the A's dropped a close game to the Nationals, losing 3–2.[136]
August 13 - Zack Gelof hit two home runs and Seth Brown hit a two-run home run, as Oakland took a 7–2 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning. The Nationals made a comeback, scoring six times in the inning, as the A's were swept by the Nationals, losing the game 8–7.[137]
August 15 - Oakland lost their fifth game in a row, losing a 6–2 decision to the Cardinals. Lawrence Butler hit his first career home run, a two-run shot, in the seventh inning. With the loss, the A's have lost seven of their last eight games.[139]
August 16 - Paul Blackburn pitched seven shutout innings and Zack Gelof had four hits, driving home two runners and scoring a run, as the Athletics blanked the Cardinals 8–0. Esteury Ruiz stole his American League leading 48th base in the win.[140]
August 18 - After a day off, the Athletics hosted the AL East leading Baltimore Orioles at home for a three-game series. Brent Rooker had three hits and scored two runs and Seth Brown had two hits, driving home two runs, as the A's lost to the Orioles 9–4.[141]
August 19 - Aledmys Díaz hit two home runs, however, the Orioles scored five runs in the 10th inning, as Oakland lost to Baltimore 7–2.[142]
August 20 - The Orioles completed the three-game sweep, defeating the A's 12–1. Brent Rooker provided all of the Athletics offense, hitting his 20th home run of the season. The loss was Oakland's 90th of the season.[143]
August 22 - Shea Langeliers homered for the second consecutive game and Aledmys Díaz hit a double and drove home three runners, as the Athletics defeated the Royals 5–4.[145]
August 23 - The Royals pitching staff held the Athletics to only two hits, as Kansas City won the final game of the series 4–0. With the loss, the A's were eliminated from post-season contention.[146]
August 25 - Nick Allen had four hits, including a home run, and drove home five runners and Ryan Noda had three hits, also hitting a home run, and drove home three runners, in the Athletics 12–4 victory over the White Sox. Zach Neal earned his first win since August 9, 2016, pitching five innings and allowing only two runs.[148]
August 26 - Oakland was limited to only four hits, as the A's dropped the third game of the series 6–2 to the White Sox.[149]
August 27 - The Athletics offense struggled for the second straight game, as they were limited to only two hits in a 6–1 loss to the White Sox. Esteury Ruiz stole two bases, bringing his AL-leading total to 51 on the season.[150]
August 28 - The A's closed out their seven-game road trip with a three-game series against their divisional rivals, the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington. The Mariners held the Athletics to four hits, as Oakland dropped their third game in a row, losing 7–0.[151]
August 29 - Oakland's pitching staff held the Mariners to only four hits, as the Athletics defeated Seattle 3–1. Jordan Díaz had three hits, as Shea Langeliers and Seth Brown each hit home runs in the victory.[152]
August 30 - Esteury Ruiz had two hits, and stole two bases, however, the A's dropped the final game of the series, losing 5–4 to the Mariners. Lawrence Butler had two hits, including a two-run home run.[153]
September/October
September 1 - The A's returned home for a three-game series against their divisional rivals, the Los Angeles Angels. Esteury Ruiz had three hits, including a two-run home run, as well as stealing his 54th base of the season, as the Athletics defeated the Angels 9–2. JP Sears pitched six scoreless innings in his start, allowing only four hits, to earn the victory.[154]
September 2 - Brent Rooker hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning, and the A's pitching staff held the Angels to only one run, as Oakland won the game by a 2–1 score. Paul Blackburn started the game and pitched five innings to earn the victory.[155]
September 3 - Ryan Noda and Seth Brown each hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning, leading the Athletics to a series sweep, as Oakland defeated the Angels 10–6. Zack Gelof had two hits and scored two runs.[156]
September 4 - The Athletics hosted the Toronto Blue Jays for a three-game series. Lawrence Butler hit two home runs and drove home three runners, while Ryan Noda and Jordan Díaz each hit home runs, as the A's dropped a close game to the Blue Jays, losing 6–5 in ten innings.[157]
September 5 - Zack Gelof and Seth Brown each had two hits, and Ken Waldichuk pitched six scoreless innings, however, the A's lost to the Blue Jays 7–1.[158]
September 6 - Carlos Pérez hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning and Kevin Smith hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning, leading the Athletics to a 5–2 victory over Toronto. Esteury Ruiz stole two bases, bringing his season total to an AL-high of 58 on the season.[159]
September 8 - After a scheduled off-day, the Athletics were on the road for a three-game series against their divisional rivals, the Texas Rangers, at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Shea Langeliers hit a two-run home run and Esteury Ruiz hit a solo home run, as Oakland defeated the Rangers 6–3.[160]
September 9 - Zack Gelof had two hits, including a two-run home run, however, the Rangers won the game, defeating the Athletics 3–2.[161]
September 12 - Zack Gelof had two hits and two runs, while Shea Langeliers and Tony Kemp each hit home runs, as the Athletics defeated the Astros 6–2. JP Sears pitched six innings, allowing two runs, earning his fifth victory of the season.[164]
September 13 - Ryan Noda broke up the Astros no-hit bid with a single in the ninth inning, however, the Athletics lost their 100th game of the season, losing 6–2 to Houston.[165]
September 15 - Following an off-day, the A's kicked off a 10-game homestand, their final of the season, as the San Diego Padres visited Oakland for a three-game interleague series. In the series opener, Esteury Ruiz hit a home run and stole his AL-leading 59th base, however, the A's lost to the Padres 8–3.[166]
September 17 - Brent Rooker had two hits, including a solo home run, however, the Padres completed the three-game sweep against the Athletics, winning the game 10–1.[168]
September 18 - The A's continue their homestand as they host their divisional rivals, the Seattle Mariners, for a three-game series. Oakland's offense struggled, managing only five singles. Esteury Ruiz stole two bases, bringing his American League leading total to 61 on the season. The Mariners shut out Oakland 5–0, as the Athletics have now lost five games in a row.[169]
September 19 - Shea Langeliers hit a triple, driving home Aledmys Díaz and Zack Gelof had two hits, however, the A's lost their sixth game in a row, losing 7–2 to the Mariners.[170]
September 20 - Brent Rooker and Zack Gelof each hit home runs, but the A's losing streak was extended to seven, as the Mariners swept the three-game series by a score of 6–3.[171]
September 21 - The Athletics began their final home series of the season, as Oakland hosted the Detroit Tigers for a four-game series. Brent Rooker hit his 28th home run of the season, but the A's lost their eighth game in a row, losing 7–3 to Detroit.[172]
September 22 - Oakland snapped their eight-game losing streak, as the A's defeated the Tigers 8–2. Ken Waldichuk pitched six innings, allowing four hits and two runs, while striking out seven, to earn the victory. Brent Rooker and Shea Langeliers each hit home runs and Esteury Ruiz stole two bases, bringing his American League high total to 63.[173]
September 23 - Joe Boyle earned his first career victory, pitching six innings, allowing no earned runs and struck out five batters, as the A's defeated Detroit 4–1. Esteury Ruiz had two hits and scored two runs, while Nick Allen also scored two runs. Trevor May earned his 20th save of the season.[174]
September 24 - In their final home game of the season, Esteury Ruiz had two hits and stole two bases, bringing his total to 65 on the season, however, the Athletics were shut out by the Tigers 2–0. The A's finished the season with a 26–55 record at home and lost their 108th game of the season, tying the 1979 Oakland Athletics for the most in a season since relocating to Oakland.[175]
September 26 - The A's were on the road to begin a three-game series against the American League Central champions, the Minnesota Twins, at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In the series opener, Seth Brown hit a two-run home run, however, the Athletics lost to the Twins by a score of 11–3. With their 109th loss of the season, it is the most since the franchise moved to Oakland and is the most since the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics season, when the A's lost 117 games.[176]
September 27 - Brent Rooker had a hit and drove home two runs, however, the A's lost for the 11th time in their past 13 games, losing 6–4 to the Twins.[177]
September 28 - Ryan Noda hit a solo home run in the eighth inning, helping the Athletics to a 2–1 victory over the Twins. Luis Medina pitched six innings, allowing only three hits and one run.[178]
September 30 - Zack Gelof had three hits, including a home run, and drove home three runners, as the Athletics defeated the Angels 7–3. Joe Boyle had a strong start, pitching seven innings, allowing three runs and striking out six to improve to 2–0 on the season. Esteury Ruiz stole his AL-leading 66th base in the win.[180]
October 1 - Esteury Ruiz set the American League record for most stolen bases in a season by a rookie, as he stole his 67th base, breaking the record previously set by Kenny Lofton of the 1992 Cleveland Indians. Brent Rooker had three hits, including his 30th home run of the season, as Oakland lost to the Angels 7–3. With the loss, the A's finish the season with a 50–112 record, earning a 0.309 winning percentage, the lowest in franchise history since the 1919 Philadelphia Athletics, who finished the year with a 0.257 winning percentage.[181]
Designated RHP Zach Neal for assignment. Placed RHP Zach Jackson (flexor tendon strain in right elbow) on the 15-day injured list retroactive to May 17. Selected the contract of Lucas Erceg from Las Vegas Aviators.
Activated RHP Freddy Tarnok from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to the Las Vegas Aviators. Transferred RHP Yacksel Rios (Raynaud's Syndrome) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list.
Placed LHP Sean Newcomb (sprained left knee) on the 15-day injured list retroactive to September 16. Transferred RHP Freddy Tarnok from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Selected the contract of RHP Joe Boyle from Las Vegas Aviators.
Note: W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; H = Hits; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; SO = Strikeouts
